Patents by Inventor Stephen D. Sterz
Stephen D. Sterz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11728668Abstract: An electronic device may have a power system with a battery. The device may include power management circuitry that helps distribute power from the battery to components within the device. To prevent an excessive load from being applied to the battery and the battery from dropping below a cut-off voltage, power management circuitry may control power consumption by components in the device. Power consumption models in the power management circuitry may be used to ensure that maximum allowable power consumption levels are not exceeded. To help accurately and quickly manage power consumption decisions, each component may have characteristic power consumption values that characterize the power consumption profile of the component.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2017Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nalin Chaturvedi, Yiming Lou, Wei He, Stephen D. Sterz
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Patent number: 11363133Abstract: A method of an electronic device that includes a power source is disclosed. The method determines a health of the power source, a temperature of the power source, and a state of charge of the power source. The method then sets a performance state cap for the electronic device based on at least the health of the power source.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Cyril De La Cropte De Chanterac, David M. Demuro, John Ananny, Karen Eckert, Michael Eng, Nicholas W. Ruhter, Stephen D. Sterz
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Patent number: 10599199Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method can include receiving a command to shut down an electronic device based on a measurement of power delivery to the electronic device. After receiving the command to shut down, the method can determine whether an indication of remaining power capacity at the electronic device exceeds a threshold value. The method can shut down the electronic device and, after shutting down the electronic device, in accordance with a determination that the indication of remaining power capacity exceeds the threshold value, automatically reboot the electronic device. In accordance with a determination that the indication of the remaining power capacity does not exceed the threshold value, automatically rebooting the electronic device can be foregone.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Cyril De La Cropte De Chanterac, Michael Eng, Karen Eckert, Alessandro Pelosi, David M. Demuro, Stephen D. Sterz, Nicholas W. Ruhter
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Publication number: 20180345812Abstract: An electronic device may have a power system with a battery. The device may include power management circuitry that helps distribute power from the battery to components within the device. To prevent an excessive load from being applied to the battery and the battery from dropping below a cut-off voltage, power management circuitry may control power consumption by components in the device. Power consumption models in the power management circuitry may be used to ensure that maximum allowable power consumption levels are not exceeded. To help accurately and quickly manage power consumption decisions, each component may have characteristic power consumption values that characterize the power consumption profile of the component.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2017Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: Nalin Chaturvedi, Yiming Lou, Wei He, Stephen D. Sterz
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Patent number: 10044075Abstract: An electronic device that displays a battery status is described. In particular, based on the occurrence or presence of an environmental condition (such as an extrinsic environmental factor and/or a current electronic-device usage factor), the electronic device may determine an inaccessible-charge condition of a battery in the electronic device. For example, the environmental condition may include: a temperature of the battery less than the temperature threshold value; and/or a discharge rate of the battery greater than the discharge threshold value. In response to the inaccessible-charge condition, the electronic device may display indications of two or more battery-charge parameters, including: an accessible battery charge, an inaccessible battery charge that is currently unavailable for use because of the environmental condition, and/or a total battery charge.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nalin Chaturvedi, Stephen D. Sterz, Soundararajan Manthiri
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Patent number: 10009852Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2017Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Keith Cox, John M. Ananny, Stephen D. Sterz, Derek J. DiCarlo, Gaurav Kapoor, Jason L. Pang, Alex J. Crumlin
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Publication number: 20180076492Abstract: An electronic device that displays a battery status is described. In particular, based on the occurrence or presence of an environmental condition (such as an extrinsic environmental factor and/or a current electronic-device usage factor), the electronic device may determine an inaccessible-charge condition of a battery in the electronic device. For example, the environmental condition may include: a temperature of the battery less than the temperature threshold value; and/or a discharge rate of the battery greater than the discharge threshold value. In response to the inaccessible-charge condition, the electronic device may display indications of two or more battery-charge parameters, including: an accessible battery charge, an inaccessible battery charge that is currently unavailable for use because of the environmental condition, and/or a total battery charge.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2016Publication date: March 15, 2018Inventors: Nalin CHATURVEDI, Stephen D. STERZ, Soundararajan MANTHIRI
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Publication number: 20170156111Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2017Publication date: June 1, 2017Inventors: Patrick Y. LAW, Keith COX, John M. ANANNY, Stephen D. STERZ, Derek J. DICARLO, Gaurav KAPOOR, Jason L. PANG, Alex J. CRUMLIN
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Patent number: 9585100Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2015Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Keith Cox, John M. Ananny, Stephen D. Sterz, Derek J. DiCarlo, Gaurav Kapoor, Jason L. Pang, Alex J. Crumlin
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Publication number: 20160066266Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2015Publication date: March 3, 2016Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Keith Cox, John M. Ananny, Stephen D. Sterz, Derek J. DiCarlo, Gaurav Kapoor, Jason L. Pang, Alex J. Crumlin
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Patent number: 7518340Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for charge current adjustment to enhance battery cycle life thereby allowing batteries to be charged quickly without accelerating the aging process of the battery. As the charge capacity of the battery degrades over time, the charge current for the battery charging cycles is also reduced so that the effective charge rate for the battery is adjusted to account for the reduction in charge capacity. In this way, battery capacity life is enhanced by avoiding an accelerated charge rate as the battery capacity drops over the operational life of the battery. The methods and systems disclosed are useful for battery-powered information handling systems, as well as other devices where fast charging and long cycle life is desirable, such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), electric vehicles and/or any other battery powered devices.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2005Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Stephen D. Sterz, Ligong Wang
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Patent number: 7518338Abstract: For charging a rechargeable hybrid battery pack, a first cell stack coupled in parallel with a second cell stack of the hybrid battery pack are pre-charged in parallel. The cell stack to first complete the pre-charge phase, is selected to receive a normal charge with a constant current while the non-selected one of the cell stack continues to receive the pre-charge. The first cell stack and the second cell stack receive the normal charge in the selected sequence. Upon completion of the normal charge for each cell of the hybrid battery pack, the first cell stack and the second cell stack are trickle-charged in parallel to complete the charging.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Ligong Wang, Stephen D. Sterz
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Patent number: 7436151Abstract: Systems and methods for detection of charge switching element failure (e.g., charge FET switching element) in a battery system, such as a battery system of an information handling system (e.g. notebook computer), in which an increase in cell voltage is employed as a criteria for detecting charge switching element failure.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2004Date of Patent: October 14, 2008Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Ligong Wang, Bruce A. Miller, Stephen D. Sterz